Autumn-Leaf Album Leaf

There's a tree outside my work window, or rather across the parking lot so I've got a good view of it. In the afternoon (since I'm looking north) the sunlight comes streaming at it and illuminates it perfectly. Today around 3 p.m. it was shining in that specific autumn-tree green-bronze color, with rippling yellow highlights in it: just transfixing. I wanted to go swimming in this tree. I had to go outside to get a better look at it. Watching it felt like the way listening to American chamber music feels. (Gleefully I realized I wasn't hearing a specific piece of music, but some unspecific bunch of sound- and texture-impressions that come with American chamber music — I'm thinking Copland, Barber, Ives here. But it felt just like it.) I watched this tree for something like ten minutes.

Now and then those little things in life that you always ignore muster up enough oomph to finally smack the back of your head and say "Pay Attention, Dammit!" And that's very nice. Very centering, like being on a bike.

Why this blessing today, of all days? I believe it was because I was unassailably bored out of my mind at work.